💍🍸🚓⚖️ “Shadowed Loyalty” (2022) ⚖️🚓🍸💍 – Bookstagram + Review Tour
MY REVIEW
Language: English
ISBN-10: 194172079X
ISBN-13: 978-1941720790
⬅️ Click Photo for Purchase Information
“Sabina Mancari never questioned her life as the daughter of Chicago’s leading mob boss until bullets tear apart her world and the man she thought she loved turned out to be an undercover Prohibition agent. Now she sees how ugly the underworld can be. Ambushes, bribes, murder, prostitution—she thought her beloved Papa was above all that, but clearly he isn’t. What does that mean, though, for her and their family? Maybe Lorenzo, the fiancé who has barely paid her any attention in the last two years, has the right idea by planning to escape their world.
All his life, Lorenzo’s family assumed he would join the Church, but he has different ideas—marrying Sabina and pursuing a career in the law. But despite his morals, he knows at the core he isn’t so unlike his father and brothers, which has always terrified him. Has he, in trying to protect Sabina from his flaws, in fact harmed her? It sure seems that way when he realizes he all but forced her into the arms of the Prohibition Agent now bent on tearing her family apart at all costs. But how can they rebuild what has so long been neglected…and do it in the shadow of the dark empire of the Mafia?
Shadowed Loyalty, set amid the glitz and scandal of the Roaring Twenties, examines what love really means and how we draw lines between family and our own convictions, especially when following the one could mean losing the other.”
Thank you in advance to the publisher, Chrism Press, for providing a complimentary review copy through the author’s launch team. A positive review was not required nor requested, and all words are my own.
While I’ve heard of the author, I didn’t get my first book of hers until January 2022 which was the standalone Dreams of Savannah. That book has a story of its own – at least its journey to me. I was actually sent the wrong book, and ended up with the correct one.
I joined her review/launch team for THE SECRETS OF THE ISLES in 2021, and as a result, I read the first two books the series – The Nature of a Lady and To Treasure an Heiress.
Technically, this was considered a “bonus” book as part of the launch team – but the blurb grabbed me, so I signed on to read it. It was also a treat since JustRead was touring the book as well for a combined Bookstagram and review. And, that gorgeous cover? I absolutely adored the noir artwork which isn’t a favorite of mine (I’m not really into art as it is). It has an air of suspense, glamor, and innocence to it.
Just a note: my grandmother was born in 1917 (she died in 2002), but she definitely remembered the Al Capone days as she was raised in the Southern Illinois area close to St. Louis, Missouri.
That said …
While historical fiction is a genre I’ve come to appreciate, and in some ways love – I rarely read any of the time periods between the Civil War and World War II (1890-1940).
Given the fact that this had a “slight” connection to NCIS, I was very eager to read it.
According to the author: “Anyone watch NCIS back in the day? Remember the story line that one season with Tony and the romantic interest with the lovely doctor who turned out to be the daughter of the international criminal they were tracking? That’s actually what inspired this book, in a way. Or rather, as I watched it play out, I thought, “So in this framework, the law enforcement officer is clearly the one we’re rooting for. But what if it wasn’t? What if he was the villain? Because come on, from her point of view, he is. He’s out to destroy her family and even if he did feel some affection for her, it doesn’t change facts.” So I starting thinking about other scenarios…and a love triangle involving this agent on the one hand and a hero on the other who was part of her world…and yet not. A stand-up guy.” (https://www.roseannamwhite.com/2021/08/announcing-shadowed-loyalty.html)
That was fourth (4th) season where Anthony “Tony” DiNozzo, under director Jenny Shepard, got to know Dr. Jeanne Benoit as his alias Tony DiNardo to get to her father. Her father, René Benoit was known as “La Grenouille” (The Frog), an infamous arms dealer. That played out to the end of the season with a few tidbits here and there.
Shadowed Loyalty became a MUST READ for the following reasons:
#1 – I absolutely loved DiNozzo in that season, so the NCIS connection was a top draw
#2 – It is rumored some parts of my family were from the Chicago area (not mafia)
#3 – My grandfather ran moonshine at one point (again, not for the mafia)
#4 – I moved to Las Vegas at the end of the mob rule, just prior to the deaths of the Spilotro brothers. Anthony “Tony” was the Chicago mob’s Las Vegas representative. Our former mayor, Oscar Goodman, was his attorney. (Also, Goodman’s wife, Carolyn, is our current mayor on her last term)
Those who’ve read White’s other historical fiction, will find this very different. Even more so with the mafia connection thus given it a harder, and colder edge.
White keeps the mafia tale quite accurate. While Al Capone is mentioned, and what modern mob tales are usually made of, the mafia prior to then had more stringent “family” rules. And, obviously Capone shunned those rules. There are definitely mentions of: infidelity, bordellos, corruption, mob/mafia activity, organized crime, prohibition, and prostitution. There is the use of the word “whore”. There is one use of the word “c-r-a-p”. But, other than that, this is a fairly clean read.
This might bother more conservative Christian readers. Those who are familiar with mob/mafia stories will see this as an accurately portrayal of the Sicilians who were in the mob/mafia. White definitely has done her research, even going into why they were mistrustful of the government.
Shadowed Loyalty plays more to the family and personal convictions aspect as opposed to a mob vs. the authorities in a wild shootout. Thus, there is no real violence in this – it is more of a depth story taking the characters through their own personal journey.
The triangle involves: Sabina Mancari (daughter of a mafioso), Roman O’Reilly (prohibition agent), and Lorenzo “Enzo” Capecce (an attorney who wants “out”). This is told from their points of view, as well as a “gal” by the name of Sally who has a connection to Capone (just as he is beginning his rise).
Right off, I have to confess, I kept reading SABINA MANCARI as SABRINA MERCARI. I don’t know why that happened. It took me about 35 pages to start reading it right.
White begins this tale with the “takedown” of “Manny”, known as Giorgio Mancari, Sr which then outs Roman as who he is – which is not the man who romanced her. From there, Sabina calls the only person she feels she can trust – the man she’s been engaged to for three (3) – Enzo. She needs his help in getting her father out of jail.
The only reason Sabina was with Roman – she felt Enzo didn’t care for her.
Enzo never wanted to be a mob attorney. In fact, he forced Manny to promise him that. And, the older man does. Yet, Enzo is finding himself representing Manny. He does so for his beloved “Bean”, though she is the reason he didn’t join the priesthood.
Sabina on the other hand never thought much of the life her father was building. She was taught to never cross a cop’s path and that Sicilians were naturally distrustful of cops. Roman proves that was a good idea.
Roman hates the mafia. He isn’t wild about Prohibition though. But, it is HOW else the mafia makes their money. At first, he was using Sabina to get information, but as it usually goes – he began to care for her during his six (6) months of undercover work. Though, unlike his fellow agents, corruption isn’t something Roman is into.
Sabina then begins viewing her father’s activities through a different lens. Bootlegging is okay – murder isn’t. Her mother is honest with her – she wants different for her daughter other than to be the wife of a mafioso. Enzo is the out that Sabina needs despite his family’s connections.
Roman still loves Sabina, despite her father’s activities. While his last name wasn’t real – his feelings for her were. And, he isn’t done trying to convince her.
While Roman is looking for a way to take down Mancari, Sabina and Enzo are slowly healing themselves from her “fling” with Roman.
In a connected part, Sabina also sees the disparity between herself and her friends – Mary and Isadora “Izzy” – who’s mother is dying. While Sabina’s family has a cook and wastes food, the Bennatos are barely scraping by. This story is slightly wrapped up by the end of the book.
This definitely grabbed me right off, and the chapters weren’t that short, but definitely NOT too long either. Despite one typo I noticed (HHHE on page 218), White had a way of writing this that felt like I had time-traveled back and was dropped directly there to witness it and feel the emotional tug between family and personal convictions. The tug between those we love that which we hate. Sometimes the tug is so great it becomes an obsession.
There was a sweet and endearing moment on page 115 when Cliff and Roman threaten to bring their mothers into it, before deciding not to bring their mothers into it as Chicago didn’t need the two terrors descending on the city.
Roman decides to use a woman, Sally, to get information on Mancari. Sally and Ava are referred to as “whores” given their “positions”.
Sabina ends up hearing a conversation between Ava and her father. Sabina is shaken by it. But, it is also Ava who puts things into perspective for Sabina and the two become closer as a result of what Ava tells her.
Readers learn why Roman is eager to bring down the mafia and, as usual, it is a personal reason.
The ending is pretty much predictable and while it could’ve had a bigger climax, the entire story was based upon the triangle of Roman/Sabina/Enzo with Sabina and Enzo coming to terms with their lives and their choices; and it had little to do with a mafia showdown.
There are a few plot points that were not fully resolved and I would’ve liked to see an epilogue explaining what happened to some of the characters. Perhaps the author has another connected book down the road.
Though White never specifically states what year this takes place in, it is in 1922 as there is a reference to the funeral of Alexander Graham Bell in Canada. Bell died in 1922, so that pretty much dates the story.
White never reveals what branch of law enforcement the Prohibition Agents were tied to. However, they were part of the IRS, to enforce the Volstead Act (a nationwide constitutional ban on the production, importation, transportation, and sale of alcoholic beverages from 1920 to 1933). Hence the term “revenuers” which isn’t used in this book, but some moonshiners did call them that. The agency was later absorbed into the FBI before eventually becoming today’s Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives known as the BATFE or the common acronym of the ATF.
Chrism is a Catholic and Orthodox imprint of WhiteFire, as a result, this is going to have some strong themes of the Catholic faith. That is what most of the mafia practiced and observed quite religiously and is one of their core identifiers.
This is especially true when Enzo tells Sabina about forgiveness not being a one-time deal, but a journey and relying on faith.
While this is definitely a new version of White’s books that I’ve read, I wouldn’t be opposed to reading others like it. I am definitely eager to be on the launch team for the third and final book in THE SECRETS OF THE ISLES series – Worthy of Legend which comes out later this year. I will say I prefer her “lighter” series and writing though.
RATING:
5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐/5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ – Goodreads
5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐/5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ – Bookbub
5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐/5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ – Personal Rating (see rating explanation in this blog: https://readingexcursions.blogspot.com/2020/01/rating-system-2020-changes.html)
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Roseanna M. White is a bestselling, Christy Award–winning author who has long claimed that words are the air she breathes. When not writing fiction, she’s homeschooling her two kids, editing, designing book covers, and pretending her house will clean itself. Roseanna is the author of a slew of historical novels that span several continents and thousands of years. Spies and war and mayhem always seem to find their way into her books…to offset her real life, which is blessedly ordinary. You can learn more about her and her stories at RoseannaMWhite.com.
You can also find her on the following social media accounts:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RoseannaMWhite
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/roseannamwhite/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/RoseannaMWhite
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